Drew and Carla Baker

Drew was born and raised in New Jersey, and is the fourth of five children born to Louis and Carolyn Baker. He received his B.A. in Psychology from West Virginia University and his M.A. in Aeronautical Science from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. He has also taken some Biblical Studies classes from Freedom Bible College and Seminary.

In 1985 Drew graduated from the United States Air Force Undergraduate Pilot Training program and spent twenty years flying multiple aircraft for the USAF. It was during his early years in the military that he met and married Carla (Syrjanen). They have two lovely daughters, Caitlin Laurie (12/28/92) and Christin Leah (5/29/01).

Drew and Carla felt called to Mission Aviation for many years before God finally said "Yes" and allowed them to serve for nearly five years with Mission Aviation Fellowship. During that time, they were assigned to Central Asia, where Drew flew and managed the flying operations.

In the summer of 2009, following the Holy Spirit's leading, Drew and Carla came to Alaska to visit MARC. It was during that visit that the Board of Directors asked Drew to become the next Field Director of MARC.

The Baker's have claimed 1 Thessalonians 2:8 as the epitome of their family's approach to ministry. It reads, "We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us." (NIV)

Michael and Cayla Boettcher

Michael is originally from Minnesota, however growing up as a missionary kid, where you are from is often a relative term. Michael is married to Cayla (Persons) and they have 3 children: Alissa (6/12/07), Titus (7/5/08), and Eli (10/4/09). They currently make their home in the community of Soldotna, Alaska.

When he was a young boy, Michael's parents were missionaries in a remote part of Bolivia. It was here that Michael saw just how important missionary aviation could be. At times he would see the mission plane from Wings of Peace fly over his family's house and drop their mail and much needed vehicle parts for the family's Toyota Land Cruiser. He and his Bolivian friends would have a competition and see who could catch the mail (not the vehicle parts!) before it hit the ground. Even at this early age Michael started feeling the Lord pulling him towards missions.

In was during middle school that Michael felt a definite call to missionary aviation. The Boettcher family had moved back to Minnesota and a missionary pilot and his wife came to share about how aircraft were a tremendous ministry tool in remote parts of the world. It was on this day that Michael felt the Lord leading him to serve as a missionary pilot.

Michael started working towards being a missionary pilot. He earned his pilots' license at age 17. After high school he attended Crown College, a Bible school in Southern Minnesota. It was here that he earned a BA in Intercultural Studies (missions degree) and met his beautiful wife to be, Cayla.

In August of 2003, Michael and Cayla were married. Michael still had one year of his college degree to finish and Cayla was in the process of going to school to be a Registered Nurse. Both Michael and Cayla knew that God had called both of them to the mission field and they both worked hard to get there.

In 2007 Michael had finished his instrument and commercial pilot's certificates and Cayla had finished her RN degree. Michael was working on getting his Airframe and Powerplant Aircraft Maintenance Certificates at Southeast Technical College when they received information that there was a Bible camp in remote Western Alaska that desperately needed a pilot and camp nurse. They sold their house, packed up their belongings, and moved to Alaska to be missionaries and answer the Lord's call. After serving with Kako Retreat Center for a year and a half, Michael and Cayla moved to Soldotna to serve with Missionary Aviation Repair Center.

Michael is currently working on finishing his Airframe and Powerplant Mechanic requirements. Cayla is kept very busy with their three small children. They are very excited to see the work that God is doing in Alaska and are also excited to be part of the ministry of Missionary Aviation Repair Center.

Don and Cat Bosworth

Don was born in Alberta, Canada and lived on several Canadian Air Force bases while growing up. After attending Royal Military College and graduating with a Bachelor of Engineering he underwent pilot training back at some of the same bases. After a tour on fighters Don attended the US Navy Test Pilot school and spent the next 8 years as a test pilot. It was during a tour at Edwards AFB in California that Don and Cat (Bean) met. They were married on July 29th, 1995.

After his tour at Edwards, CA he retired from the Canadian Armed Forces and worked as a flight test engineer for the US Navy for twelve years. Four more years were spent back at Edwards, CA still in flight test. From 1995 on Don wanted to fly missionaries. His move to Turlock, CA some 200 miles by air from Edwards gave him the justification to buy a Cessna 172 so he could commute.

On recommendations from several church members Don and Cat came up to Soldotna in December 2003 to visit Mission Aviation Repair Center (MARC) and Alaska Christian College (ACC). In September of 2004 Don and Cat moved to Soldotna to start their mission work with MARC.

Don and Cat have four wonderful children - Jon, Cheramie, Christine, and Megan and one beautiful grandchild!

Website: www.donandcat.com

Brian and Elizabeth Bruxvoort

Ricky Hellings

The older of two boys, Ricky was born in Southern New Jersey to Richard and Susan Hellings. He grew up there spending summers on the beach. In high school Ricky attended a boarding school, Lancaster Mennonite High School, in Lancaster PA, where he was first introduced to mechanics. He later graduated with a BS from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, and after earning his Airframe & Powerplant License (A&P), he worked for the University for three years prior to being accepted at MARC.

Ricky first felt the call to mission aviation at the age of eight during a Mission's Conference. However, his love of winter and cold weather drove him to look for missions in the North as opposed to equatorial locations. Ricky has been in Alaska serving with MARC since the summer of 2004. . He currently serves as an A&P/IA in the hangar, and holds a commercial pilot certificate with multi and single engine airplane and instrument pilot ratings.

Website: www.rickatmarc.org

Greg and Melanie Hess

Greg was born in Minnesota to Jerry and Louise Hess. He became a believer in Christ when he was in first grade. His aviation training began with an Associate's Degree in Aviation Maintenance which included an Airframe and Powerplant license from Minneapolis Technical College. He also earned a B.S. in Missionary Aviation from Moody Bible Institute, where he received his flight training.

Greg met his wife Melanie (Cervin) during his time at Minneapolis Technical College and they were married while he was studying Bible at Moody Bible Institute in Chicago. It was actually Melanie that introduced him to missionary aviation through someone from her home church who worked with Mission Aviation Fellowship overseas. That was when Greg felt that God was leading him into this service and started pursuing that path by applying to Moody. During that time, Melanie graduated from the University of MN with a B.S. in Agriculture/Horticulture. After graduating from the Moody Aviation program in Tennessee in 1999, he worked there for a year as assistant shop supervisor. In 2000 Greg and Melanie joined Mission Aviation Fellowship and were assigned to Mozambique, Africa. Their daughter Hannah was born (06/12/02) during their time in language school in Lisbon, Portugal. After two and a half years in Mozambique, God moved them to Central Asia with MAF, where they served for three years.

In the spring of 2007 God opened the door for Greg and Melanie to do something that had been in the back of their minds since college days - serve in Alaska. They applied and were accepted with MARC and in July of 2007 they arrived in Soldotna, AK to begin serving as a pilot/mechanic.

Bob and Sue Martin

Bob and Sue met on New Years Eve in 1979 and married in 1982. At the time of their marriage, they were both pursuing degrees at Michigan Technological University. Sue graduated in 1984 as a Medical Technologist and Bob graduated in 1985 as a Mechanical Engineer.

Following graduation, they moved to Zeeland, Michigan where Bob took an engineering job with Herman Miller, Inc. Seven months later God blessed them with a beautiful little girl, Jessica. Twenty two months after Jessica's arrival, they were blessed with another beautiful little girl, Nicole.

In 1991, both Bob and Sue attended Walk to Emmaus Spiritual Renewal Weekends. Soon after Bob's weekend, he began to talk and pray about serving the Lord full-time. For nearly four years they continued to wait on the Lord to see if He had something different for them to do. While Bob was working on a Chrysalis Weekend for high school boys in 1995, he learned from one of the boys that God was using pilots to help spread His Gospel message. In 1996 Bob and Sue stepped out in faith. Bob left his job with Herman Miller, their family moved in with Sue's parents who were living in Ludington, Michigan, and Bob began taking Bible courses through Moody Bible Institute. After two years of course work, they moved to Elizabethton, Tennessee where Bob began attending Moody Bible Institute's aviation training school.

Their family had an opportunity in 1999 to spend two months in Nairobi, Kenya on a short term mission trip with Africa Inland Missions. In the same year they also learned how God was using Missionary Aviation Repair Center to help take His Gospel message to the people in rural Alaska. In 2000 they traveled to Alaska and spent five weeks working at Missionary Aviation Repair Center. Following their visit they applied to serve at MARC full time. They were accepted and following Bob's graduation in 2001 and some time spent raising support, they moved to Alaska in the summer of 2002.

Bob began serving as an aircraft mechanic, but was later asked to take responsibility for the parts department, where he continues to serve today. Since their arrival in Alaska, Sue has worked part time at the local hospital in Soldotna. She works in the lab and has recently assumed the position of supervisor of the Point of Care program. Both Jessica and Nicole reside in Anchorage. Jessica graduated from the University of Alaska-Anchorage in May 2009 as an Elementary Education teacher and is employed as a Kindergarten teacher at one of Anchorage's charter schools. Nicole married Jeff Rice in July 2009 and they are in Anchorage where Jeff is a First Officer with one of the Anchorage based airlines, ERA Aviation.

Travis and Heather McCullough

Travis was born in South Carolina as the oldest son to Wayne and Cheryl McCullough. His family then moved to Georgia where he lived until college. Travis was very active in Boy scouts and achieved the rank of Eagle Scout. He was also very active in his church usually serving in the youth group, or playing his viola in the church orchestra. It was during this time he felt called to missions and started making strides in that direction. After graduating high school he went to Tanzania with Teen Missions International where God solidified his desire to use Travis in missions. Travis then attended Moody Aviation where he received a degree in Missionary Aviation Maintenance Technologies.

Heather was born as the youngest child to Greg and Elaine Davis in Georgia where she stayed until she was married. Heather was always active in church, and always loved babysitting, or working with the children's department at the church. Heather has served in Poland, and Mozambique with Teen Missions International. She attended Georgia College and State University where she received a degree in Early Childhood Education.

Travis and Heather started dating in 1993 when they were in high school. Even though they had known each other for a long time it was at this point that they wanted to seek a relationship with each other. Six years later they were married after completing college. They moved to Tennessee where Travis taught at Moody aviation in the A&P portion of the school. Heather taught in the Bristol Tennessee City School district. After three years of teaching they felt God drawing them into missions. It was after much prayer and searching that God led them to MARC.

In 2002 Travis and Heather applied to MARC and after their evaluation they were accepted as staff in 2003 and started to raise their support. They moved to Alaska in September of 2005. During that time they were blessed with two wonderful children, Bryce (2/26/03) and Sydney (6/22/05).

Travis served as a mechanic until March 2007 when he was appointed as Director of Maintenance. Heather and Travis both actively serve in their local church. They were recently blessed with another son, Blake (7/28/09).

Website: www.mcculloughmission.com

Mark and Michele Swensen

Mark is from Washington State and Michele is from Pennsylvania. The two met in Chicago at Moody Bible Institute. They were married in 1992, remaining in Chicago until Michele completed her degree in International Ministries in 1994. Mark then continued his training in Elizabethton, Tennessee, receiving his degree in Missionary Aviation Technology in 1997. After graduation, Mark and Michele spent two years ministering with Moody Aviation, Moody Bible Institute's Missionary Aviation School. Mark served as a maintenance instructor, equipping others to use their newly acquired skills in overseas missions.

God has blessed Mark and Michele with four children: Neakita (7/26/97), Jeremiah (8/22/98), Alaina (6/12/00), and Katelyn (1/5/04).

Early in their married life, Mark and Michele sought the Lord as to where and with whom He would place them to minister. Both having experience with ministries in South America and Papua, New Guinea, these were the areas of the world their hearts were drawn to. But when they learned about MARC and the ministry opportunities in Alaska and the Russian Far East, their hearts became burdened to be a part of it. This was an unexpected turn God made in their life. They have served with MARC since 2001. Their love for the people of Alaska and their passion for the ministry of MARC have grown to depths they never imagined.

In addition to their ministry with MARC, they home school their children, are involved in the AWANA program and other ministries at their local church, and they serve on the Alaska state board for Child Evangelism Fellowship (Mark as the chairman).

Our blog:
www.swensensinalaska.blogspot.com

Tom and Wendee Turner

Tom was born and raised in Poplar Bluff, Missouri. He accepted Christ at eight years old. While attending Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, Illinois he met his wife, Wendee (Ward). While in college he learned to fly and graduated with a Bachelor Degree in Aviation Management. Tom has been a full time MARC staff member since July of 2008.

Wendee is from Carmi, Illinois. She graduated from Southern Illinois University with a bachelor degree in Business Education. She and Tom were married in 1992. Assisting MARC with accounting and administrative needs along with being a wife and mother keeps her busy.

The Turners felt called to Missions and MARC in the spring of 2007. By late summer MARC had invited the Turners to become fulltime staff members. Tom and Wendee currently reside in Soldotna, Alaska with their three Children, Josh (9/1/93), Donna Joann "DJ" (4/5/96) and Jake (3/30/99).

Bob and Joyce Widman

Len and Cozene Wikstrom

Biography Coming Soon!